The Final Desperation

Summon Jaws

A large magic circle appeared beneath the feet of a group of pirates, rotating at an accelerating speed as the runes increased in brightness. Once the light reached its peak, everything went out, replaced by a dark portal that seemed to lead to the deepest parts of the ocean.

The surface rippled and a giant, transparent shark leaped out, devouring everyone above it. As a result, this single target skill achieved the effect of an AOE effect. Who told the pirates to stand so close together?

[You have obtained: unnamed rare equipment x3]

The pirate on the ship lived up to their reputation as the strongest crew. The fact that he managed to kill three mini-boss when firing into the crowd showed the quality of the members. 

This kill streak also demonstrated how powerful the skill was. Understand, Genji needed to go all out to kill mini-bosses, yet this skill finished three of them. Of course, this costed one-third of his energy, leaving him near empty after the previous shadow flame.

The remaining energy Genji had was sufficient to support normal combat, but ultimates were out of the question. Genji was fine with this as the alternative would be far worse. Pulling out his saber, Genji slashed at the nearby pirate with the red bandana.

*Clang*

As Genji expected, the attack was parried. Luckily, he wasn't relying on the attack to land. Freeing his left hand, Genji deftly drew [Opportunity], and took a step forward, attempting to slit his adversary's jugular.

Sensing this unexpected attack, the pirate brought up his arm to defend himself, but Genji redirected the attack to go through the forearm. Then he twisted the dagger, dislodging the arm while kicking his legs out. As the pirate fell, Genji brought [Jaguar] down to finish the battle.

Left with no choice, the pirate twisted his body to allow his already injured side to take another hit in an attempt to preserve his fighting powers. Seeing the opportunity, Genji yanked out his dagger and followed with another troublesome attack.

In the face of his relentless attacks, the pirate wanted to push off the floor to widen the distance. But as he was executing the maneuver, his body felt sluggish, causing him to collapse. His eyes widened in shock as this unexpected factor allowed Genji to sweep down and sever his head. Blood and chips of wood flew through the air as Genji readied himself for the next foe.

As for why the pirate couldn't move as he wanted, it has to do with the concentrated jellyfish venom he released when [Jagur] connected. With its ability to absorb poisons, it also possessed the ability to release them at contact. It was a very convenient ability befitting of a legendary weapon.

[You have obtained: unnamed rare equipment x1]

Genji parried an incoming attack and weaved past the attacker. He sheathed his dagger to pull out a flintlock and fired a distraction shot at another pirate. Then Genji jumped up, leveraging off the side of the ship and stepping onto the upper deck. With his new position, Genji could easily defend himself. Only so many people could reach him after all.

After cutting down a few people, Genji sensed a half the group had run up the other side. Genji avoided an attack and pushed the assailant back, before making a dash at the railing. Then he jumped back down to the decongested deck. Now he has more space to work with.

As the pirated discovered his position, Genji initiated his ethereal dodging movements to slip through the thin crowd. As he waltzed through, he beheaded the nearby attackers, trying to minimize his wounds.

Seeing this massacre, some of the stronger pirates started channeling curse energy into their swords. Sensing the change, Genji paid special attention to dodging these swords emitting black smoke. He heard plenty about these attacks from Silver, so unless he wanted to be finished, he needed to dodge these attacks at all costs. 

He couldn't afford to lose his fighting powers at this moment, and he needed to find a way out of this mess. At the rate he was going, he would be overwhelmed soon. Genji slowly pushed towards the side of the ship, preparing to jump. As he neared the railing, a shout full of authority sounded, stopping pursuers in their steps.

"Enough!"

Genji found it difficult to understand the deep and gruff voice, but the other pirates seemed accustomed to it. Everyone stepped back from Genji, allowing him to inch closer to the railing. Seeing this, Genji stopped beside the railing, deciding to watch the forthcoming show. Genji was at ease because he could escape anytime and no one was close enough to stop him.

A few seconds later, a person wearing a long black coat with gold buttons came into view. Genji assumed the person was a man based on their outfit and manner of speech, but it was hard to tell. That's because the "person" had pale blue skin with tentacles extending from his chin. Webbed hands rested by his side as his sunken eyes stared hauntingly at Genji.

[Vanderdeckan]

Health: 11,700/11,700

Energy:420/420

Con: 27

Str: 27

Dex: 21

Int: 21

Spc: 12

Skills:

 - Boss: +9,000 hp

 - Undead resistance: reduce damage taken by 30%

  - Ageless: Cannot die from old age

No further skills can be read.

 

Genji gazed back into those old, dull eyes. From the ageless skill Genji had glimpsed, there's a chance this pirate captain has been around for a long time. No wonder his crew is so strong.

"If you have nothing to say, I'm going to jump now."

"Gagagagaga." The captain burst out laughing when he heard Genji's sentence. "Truly a daring soul. But have you considered how you will survive the waters?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm going to be dead anyway, so I might as well take the risk."

"Yes. Truly daring. And powerful as well. As expected of someone who can fight off Paul," Vanderdecken praised, causing Genji to frown. 

"What are you getting at? And who the hell is Paul?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

At his words, large tentacles burst out of the waters and surrounded the ship. Genji looked at these familiar tentacles and spotted one severed from the middle. No doubt about it, it's the Kraken.

The tentacles wrapped around the ship and pulled, causing the ship to rock unsteadily. But this mysterious ship resisted this force and acted as an anchor for the creature below. Moments later, a large octopus head surfaced, displacing copious amounts of water. Its beady eyes wandered the ship until it set its sights on Genji. Genji felt the creature was glaring at him, but it was hard to tell with those eyes.

"So what do you want? I doubt you called a mythical creature out to cut off my escape," Genji asked.

"A decent head as well."

"Still talking in circles."

"Fine. I'll get to the point. I want you to join my crew."

Genji was not expecting this. In fact, that was the last thing on his mind right now.

[You have been invited to join The Flying Dutchman. Accept?]

[Warning. This is an extreme faction. Joining will have unforeseen effects on your mission.]

"Can I ask something?" Genji asked, wanting to clear his confusion before he made his choice.

"Go ahead."

"Why are you willing to accept me after I killed so many of your crew?" Genji asked, sending Vanderdecken into a peal of laughter.

"Gagagagagaga." After he calmed down, he said, "So that's your worry. Well for me, it's not a worry."

Then Vanderdecken waved his hand, causing the ship to respond and glow again. Spots of light gathered and formed a group of translucent souls. Genji was able to recognize some of his former crewmates among these, but the majority were strangers to him.

The souls looked around in confusion, but Vanderdecken waved his hand again. Then the souls broke apart and flew to the bodies of the pirates Genji previously cut down. From his position, Genji was able to see the souls open their mouths and scream in pain, but there was no sound. It was another eerie sight.

After the souls fused into the body, the bodies started glowing. Wounds started healing, severed heads returned to their owners, reattaching themselves, and blood was absorbed into the wood. Then the bodies opened their eyes, shakily getting up and glaring at Genji.

As for the pirates who got devoured by Jaws, multiple souls were used to reconstruct their bodies before the ship sent out the souls of their original bodies. After entering the bodies, the pirates are as good as new. Vanderdecken waved his hand one last time and the remaining souls got reabsorbed into the ship.

"As you can see, not a worry. And I feel that you are worth the price. With your abilities, you should be able to earn those souls back in no time."

Genji's eyes dilated at this sight. That was revival, wasn't it? What the hell? So now he needs to double-confirm that his enemies are dead? No wonder the drops were so mediocre when he killed the mini-bosses. But wait, doesn't that mean he can farm these pirates?

"Very well. I'll accept."

Genji shelved his unrealistic thoughts and put away his saber. As for the unforeseen effects the realm warned him of, he can worry about that later. Genji has a feeling that if he dared to reject Vanderdecken, he would join those miserable souls.

"Good."

 

[You have joined The Flying Dutchman.]

[Because of the nature of this crew, you have gained the following buffs.]

• Undead recovery: Your wounds recover 5x faster
• Undead Stamina: You have more stamina
• Undead Resistance: You take 10% less damage

[You have obtained Revival Privilege]

[Revival Privilege]

Effect: Due to you being a member of EverRealm, this privilege is weakened. Vanderdeckan can consume five souls to revive you. 80% of your body needs to be present for this privilege to take effect.

[Warning: Due to the nature of this privilege, you will become shackled to this world upon use.]

Genji felt a foreign energy coursing through his body, strengthening it. At the same time, he realized it was trying to corrode him and make Genji part of it. Feeling the sudden invasion, his shadow energy acted up, violently attacking the foreign energy. After defeating it, it devoured its remnants to replenish its depleted reserves.

[You have lost the faction buffs.]

"Oh?" Vanderdecken felt the loss of energy and looked at Genji with faint traces of hostility.

"Can't do anything about it. My strength comes from a different energy that reacted violently to your curse energy. If I try to wield both, my body will break down before I can do anything." Genji casually made up a lie to cover the awkwardness.

"This will weaken the revival ability significantly."

"Doesn't matter. I don't plan on dying so easily."

Genji wasn't lying in this sentence. If he gets revived, he becomes bound to this world. Not the best outcome for an interdimensional traveler like him. He would still be alive, but he might as well be dead.

Vanderdecken turned and walked back into the captain's cabin. The Kraken continued to glare at Genji without making any hostile movements. Then, to Genji's astonishment, its body began to shrink.

A pirate walked over and tossed down a rope. Genji looked around and noticed that the others' facial expressions remained unchanged. This seemed to be a common sight among the crew. After Paul gripped onto the rope, the pirate pulled up a miniature octopus. Paul plopped onto the deck and slite after Vanderdecken.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Genji asked himself, confused by the lack of instructions. But before this continued for too long, the pirate with the red bandana came over.

"Man, you were really strong back there. You have to teach me that sometime."

"Uhhh, thanks?"

Genji didn't know how to respond. This was the first time he talked to someone whom he decapitated. And the person's so enthusiastic about it as well.

"I'm Zepher, by the way."

"Call me Enigma."

"What a weird name."

"It's a code name. I stopped using my real one a long time ago."

"Ok? So what do you want to do with your former crew?"

At the mention of them, Genji looked over at the former pirates that submitted to him.

"Other than one guy, I don't care about the rest."

When the pirates heard Genji's response, they shot many desperate looks at Genji, all begging to be the one he was talking about.

"And who would that be?"

Genji raised his hand and pointed at Hendrickson.

"My vice-captain. He did a good job taking care of the chores, so it would be a shame to lose him."

The eyes of the other pirates filled with despair as Hendrickson's eyes lit up. See? Didn't he survive this calamity by making the captain happy? Who would dare call him a bootlicker now? Even if he's not an official member of the crew, he's a servant to a member. Who would dare offend him with that identity?

"Fine. I'll do you a favor, but you owe me one."

Zepher walked over and cut the ropes on Hendrickson. As for the others, let's just say there is more fish food in the ocean. Seeing nothing else to do, Genji found an open spot and began his usual meditation. Hendrickson followed and stuck close to Genji. Since he's a servant, he should act like one. Otherwise, who will he complain if he gets "accidentally" killed by the other crewmates?

"So what's with you and Paul? It is not often the big guy has feelings for someone." Zepher came back to talk to Genji after he finished his side of things.

"You know that missing tentacle?"

Zepher recalled the brief moment he had seen Paul's normal form. He faintly recalled that one of the tentacles was missing the tip, becoming a stub.

"I did that."

"NO WAY!"

Zepher denied his claim immediately. Although Genji was powerful, he had a hard time believing that he was able to fight the captain's friend like that.

"You might not know this, but when I fought you, I was running low on energy. Most of it was spent on that flame attack that hit the barrier."

"Oh yeah, there was something like that. Wait a moment! Hey Bolace, how is the energy of the ship?"

There was some shuffling of feet as a buff pirate ran up to the deck.

"Not good. We need to replenish it soon."

"Holy shit! You really did a number on the barrier."

Genji shrugged and replied, "I told you so."

*Sigh*

"I guess it's time to get to work again. Bolace, go ring the bell."

"Right away, sir!"

The buff pirate then ran to the bell tower in the middle of the ship and pulled on the rope.

*Ding ding ding*

Hearing this, many pirates came upstairs and pressed their hands on the ship. Then black smoke came out of their hands and channeled into the ship.

"So this is how those pirate ships get that energy membrane."

"You mean you've never seen this?"

"Well, my first crew didn't have any cursed pirates, and my second crew didn't know how."

"How the hell did you sail the sea again?"

"By killing everything in my path."

"..."

"..."

"With that attitude, I would suspect you are part of the Crimson Corsairs."

"Crimson Corsairs?" This was another unfamiliar name to Genji. Hearing the question, Zepher stared at him in disbelief.

"No way! You don't even know about the Crimson Corsairs? How the hell did you become a pirate?"

"I said my answer. By killing everything. And I just found out about your crew before we engaged in battle. So care to explain?"

If Zepher wasn't channeling curses into the ship right now, he would have facepalmed. Just how ignorant was this guy?

"Crimson Corsairs is the crew of another emperor of the seas. They are led by Kidd, a pirate known for using brutality to keep order among his crew. Their main abilities are often associated with blood and utilizing it as a weapon, but the most common trait is that the more blood that is spilled, the stronger they get. Because of this trait, they are the crew that kills the most, followed by us, of course.

But because of competition for resources, we don't get along with each other. Both of us wish that the other would roll over and die, but we don't have the power to do so. If we do enter a death battle, it would be a pyrrhic victory and there would be two fewer emperors. It's annoying, but that's how things are."

"I heard that this crew is the strongest. Are all the emperors' crews at this level?"

Zepher scoffed and expressed his disdain.

"Heh. Only us two. The other two crews are not worth mentioning. That's part of the reason we can't stand each other. If we can get rid of the other, we will rule the ocean."

"So why is there such a difference?"

This was a normal question for Zepher. Unless they are part of an emperor's crew, they wouldn't know this piece of information.

"The requirement to be an emperor is not power or anything like that. Instead, it's the intensity of the curse. Although the intensity has some correlation with your strength, it doesn't determine everything. Take you. Although your physical strength is not even close to mine, your techniques and that special energy make you a deadly foe. The same applies to the emperors.

Only when their curse becomes so strong that it starts to affect the world around them do they become an emperor, but each emperor awakens a different trait. Our captain and Kidd are the only two who awakened a combat curse, while the other two awakened support traits. In a frontal battle, our traits are better, but if we are talking about support, those two would win."

Genji nodded in understanding. You win some, you lose some. That's how specialization works.